Post Tagged with: "Kansas"

Duane Goossen Kansas has nearly an $800 million gap between revenue and expenses. However, as lawmakers struggle to balance income and expense, press reports often refer to a $400 million-plus gap. Why? Start with expenses. The Legislature has not yet passed a budget for FY 2016 (July 1, 2015 to June 30, 2016), so an exact number is not yet […]

? Being a partner with residents is her goal. Renae Riedy began working in?October as the Marion County Extension agent for family and consumer sciences. ?I chose this field because I like to help people and share what I have learned to hopefully make their lives a little better, easier or safer,? she said. Patty Decker / Free Press Helping […]

Corn planting in Kansas will soon be in full swing, but dry soils are making for a less than ideal start to the season. Kansas received just 19 percent of the amount of moisture it normally receives during March, said Mary Knapp, assistant climatologist with the Kansas Weather Data Library, based at Kansas State University. From January through March, the […]

? With the failure of the Brownback income tax cuts, it?s time to return to Kansas common sense. Let?s be honest: Nobody likes to pay taxes. But responsible citizens will agree that reasonable taxation is the price citizens pay to access basic public services that contribute to our well-being and provide opportunities for all citizens to secure their essential needs, […]

Let?s face it, Kansas voters blew it. I was one of many who sounded a warning about what could happen if Sam Brownback was re-elected as our governor, and the reality is that the people of this once populist and progressive state seldom cast ballots that reflect their own best interests. We are now seeing those poor decisions bearing fruit. […]

? Cost of power is rising for cities across Kansas. The Hillsboro City Coun?cil tabled a recommendation at its March 17 meeting that would raise electric rates to offset the rising cost of purchasing power. City Administrator Larry Paine had recommended that the kilowatt-hour rate be increased from 10.9 cents to 12 cents. For a residence consuming an average of […]

If Billy Crystal?s Fernan?do character were to visit a Kansas farm this spring you can be sure he wouldn?t be telling too many farmers, ?Darling, you look marvelous.? You can also bet not too many farmers step into the cab of their tractors wearing any of the high fashions portrayed on the pages of GQ or Esquire. Looking good is […]

? The bill to move local elections to the fall ballot is still unnecessary and counterproductive. It?s back. The silly bill that surfaced a year ago has surfaced again in the Kansas Legislature. The political machine in northeast Kansas is pushing SB171, a proposal that would change city and school board elections from April to November. The alleged goal of […]

by Andy Marso KHI News Service An alternative plan to expand Medicaid loaded with elements meant to woo Republicans has been introduced in Kansas. But it could face the same difficult political climate that killed similar bills in other states last week. Rep. Tom Sloan said Monday the proposal introduced by the Vision 2020 Committee he chairs represents a Kansas […]

? Once again the state?s public employee retirement program could be at risk for political gain. Gov. Sam Brownback apparently has decided to undo what legislators accomplished a couple of years ago with his decision to ?borrow? funds from KPERS to help offset his income tax cuts that have put Kansas into a deep financial hole. A few years ago, […]